Ubuntu: a philosophy of care and community

Trophy Ewila and Lady Dia believe that Ubuntu – seeking a community where members each have space to shine their own light without diminishing another’s light – is key to rejecting the cultural norms of White supremacy. Ubuntu will be put into action with the upcoming workshop, “I Am Because You Are vs I Am…

Cultivating social trust at the intersection of race and sexuality

“Art and love are powerful mechanisms that impact change,’’ says Jen Sungshine, co-creative director and founder of Love Intersections. Sungshine, a queer Taiwanese interdisciplinary artist and activist, says Vancouver’s Love Intersections is a media arts collective dedicated to collaborative filmmaking and relational storytelling. “We are not single-issue people who lead single-issue lives,” says Sunghine. “As…

Difficult but necessary conversations

Devika Pandey believes that constant conversations about anti-racism are the key to a more equitable future for marginalized communities in Canada. She says the events of 2020, such as the murder of George Floyd and the inequities related to COVID-19, thrust the discourse about race firmly into the spotlight. A manager with the Canadian Centre…

Jane Jae Kyung Shin – A journey of chance encounters and pivotal moments

Jane Jae Kyung Shin, Vancouver Community College’s VP, Students and Community Development, was recently nominated for YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award in the Education, Training & Development category. Shin, who was also named one of Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants 2019, says that she is both surprised and humbled to be nominated for the award. Defining…

Climate change is already affecting the city

Angela Danyluk’s work and research has given her a clear picture of how environmental changes will impact residents of Vancouver, and the local effects of climate change cannot be avoided much longer. As a senior sustainability specialist in the City of Vancouver, Danyluk states the impact of climate change on Vancouverites will go beyond merely…

Gender inclusion in the workplace starts with they

In 2019, Merriam-Webster – America’s oldest dictionary – declared the word “they” its word of the year and added a new definition: used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is non-binary. Despite what some language skeptics might think, the use of “they” as a singular pronoun in English goes way back, even…

Urban resilience: the idea of a city for its people

“The pandemic has rendered useless many of the urban resilience plans that have been made over the past decade,” says Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor Meg Holden (PhD), director of the Urban Studies Program. “It presented us with the kind of emergency that our cities were unprepared for,” she adds. She will be co-panelist on…

Authentic Indigenous voices needed in mainstream media

Some, but not all Canadians know about our country’s residential schools and the dark phase of Indigenous history that resulted from colonialism. Two Indigenous authors Michelle Good and Waubgeshig Rice feel the persistent lack of awareness and knowledge of Indigenous issues reflect the structural problems in mainstream media and education. As part of UBC’s “Indigenous…

Empowerment and hope at GenOne

In a series of talks and workshops, the University of British Columbia (UBC) First Generation Student Union (FGSU) and guest speakers will inform and empower their audience for the pandemic and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds can attend the GenOne Conference. Co-presidents Zahra Fazal, age 23, and Jaskirat Malhi, age 21, share their…

Zabeen Hirji – The future of leadership is human

Like an enormous magnifying glass, the Coronavirus pandemic has thrown into sharp focus the true character and nature of individuals, communities and nations. And, almost unequivocally, how well or how badly this crisis has been handled has been a reflection of those in positions of power and their ability to lead. While some leaders have…

New Year’s goal: changing our feelings about poop

Excrement. Feces. Poop. No matter humanity’s level of technological advancement, dealing with fecal waste is a reality that we have never been able to escape; poop is just one of the byproducts of being alive. But as we face one of the greatest existential threats to our survival through climate change, could poop be part…

Stressed out? Program offers free tools for change

Life can get on top of anyone at times, whether due to work-related issues, family worries, sleep difficulties or physical health problems. With the added social isolation of COVID restrictions, depression and anxiety are on the rise in B.C. Luckily, BounceBack® – a free skill-building program designed to help boost mood and reclaim mental health…

No Child Alone: an app designed to support children during the COVID pandemic

Alissa Antle, PhD, explains that a collaboration between Simon Fraser University (SFU) and Curatio, a digital health company that develops peer-to-peer private online support communities, is creating a digital application that will help children overcome social-emotional and mental health challenges related to the impact of COVID-19. “Are children in danger when they go outdoors?” asks…